Edwin Schlossberg

Edwin Arthur Schlossberg is an American designer, artist, and author who founded ESI Design, a firm known for creating interactive and participatory environments that blend technology, storytelling, and spatial design. Since launching the company in 1977, Schlossberg has been a pioneer in experience design, beginning with the first hands-on learning environment in the United States for the Brooklyn Children’s Museum.

Schlossberg has explored the relationship between words, images, and audience participation, creating visual and poetic works across unconventional media. Emerging from New York’s 1960s art scene, he developed a distinctive style that emphasized the meaning of language as well as its form, often transforming text into visual poetry. Some of his earliest works included poems written on aluminum foil using a typewriter, demonstrating his interest in reimagining everyday materials as artistic expression.

Schlossberg is the author of nine books, including “Einstein and Beckett” and “Interactive Excellence,” and his artwork has been exhibited in museums and solo exhibitions internationally. His design philosophy extends across science, art, and communication, translating complex subjects such as neuroscience, systems mapping, and environmental perspectives into accessible visual experiences.

In 2011, he was appointed to the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts by Barack Obama. Schlossberg holds a unique interdisciplinary doctorate from Columbia University combining physics and English and American literature, which has informed his work bridging scientific concepts and artistic interpretation.